Professional basketball player with Crohn’s disease partners with Athletes Brand on T-shirt to raise money and awareness for Athletes vs. Crohn’s & Colitis, during his first ever NBA playoff game in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

Cleveland, OH, April 15, 2018 – Cavalier's Larry Nance Jr. teamed up with Athletes Brand to co-design a limited-edition T-shirt benefiting Athletes vs. Crohn’s & Colitis, which he co-founded in January 2017. Nance has been battling Crohn’s disease since his teenage years, and has made it a priority to advocate on behalf of youth who are impacted by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – known collectively as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

Though IBD affects over 1.6 million Americans, few professional athletes have spoken openly about it. Nance designed the "Home" t-shirt in hopes to bring awareness and support for Athletes vs. Crohn's & Colitis. Nance aims to inspire young athletes diagnosed with IBD by establishing a network of athletes impacted by IBD that mentor the next generation of athletes.

“As a 16-year-old kid I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and I couldn’t find too many athletes that had my disease and shared my passion for sports.” said Nance. “This cause connects kids with Crohn’s with people in similar positions in higher up athletics – high school, college, professional level. It’s going to give athletes the chance to reach out and mentor kids in similar situations that they were once in.”

Nance's t-shirt design uses the word "Home" after being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers to his fathers old team, and city he grew up in, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nance will wear his shirt during the Cleveland Cavaliers first home NBA playoff game on Saturday, April 14, 2018 as a sign that he is back home where it all began as the Cavs hold home court advantage in round one.

Proceeds from shirt sales will benefit Athletes vs. Crohn’s & Colitis, which Nance founded with Noah Weber, a young man who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease during his adolescent years like Nance. The foundation aims to raise awareness of IBD in the adolescent population and connect young athletes impacted with IBD with athletes further along in their athletic career for advice and support.

The limited-edition “Home” T-shirt can be purchased at AthletesBrand.com. The t-shirts are available in men’s, women’s and youth sizes.

Bonus Info: Larry Nance Jr., LeBron James, and Stephen Curry were all born in the same hospital in Ohio.

For more information about the campaign, please visit AthletesBrand.com.

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About Larry Nance Jr.

Larry Nance Jr. is a power forward in his third season for the Los Angeles Lakers. A native of Akron, OH, Larry attended the University of Wyoming and was selected by the Lakers with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft. He is active on Twitter (@LarryDN22) and Instagram (@LarryDN7).

About Athletes vs Crohn’s & Colitis

Athletes vs. Crohn's & Colitis was founded in January of 2017 by Larry Nance Jr. and Noah Weber. The mission of AVC is to raise awareness of Crohn’s and colitis in the adolescent population and help children realize their athletic potential despite being diagnosed with a chronic illness. Both Larry and Noah were diagnosed with Crohn's disease during their adolescent years, and sought out athletes who reached their personal and athletic potential. Together they hope to connect young people afflicted with Crohn's and colitis to athletes to inspire and mentor.

About Athletes Brand

Athletes Brand is an athlete driven fashion brand that crafts clothing for athletes’ everyday needs away from their sport. Its mission is to help athletes use their power of influence to make a difference in the world through sports, fashion, art and philanthropy. More at AthletesBrand.com and on social media at Instagram, Twitter and Facebook (@AthletesBrand).